Vanilla & Raisin Granola

As I write this post, I am well-prepared for about 85% of people I know to call me a hippie. It's hard for one to stay in on a weekend night to make a fresh batch of warm, honey-glazed granola without most people she knows cracking a few Birkenstocks jokes. But I'm willing to put my dollar on the fact that, after whipping yourself up a batch of this stuff, you'd be okay with the occasional "can I borrow your hemp necklace" joke now and again, too.

The truth is that the chef is out of town for the weekend. Usually, weekend mornings around these parts consist of the two of us sleeping well past a respectable hour and then stumbling downstairs where the chef prepares restaurant-quality eggs, thick cut house-smoked bacon and a few slices of freshly baked bread (it's a pretty sweet deal). Sure, I could have just sucked it up in the days of his absence and settled for a cup of coffee to hold me over until lunchtime. Then, ambition set in.

It takes just a few ingredients, no fancy equipment and very little time to whip up a homemade batch of granola, and it certainly does not require all the crazy preservatives and dyes you're likely to find in many store-bought brands. (And for what! Granola is brown for crying out loud!)

Also, homemade granola is like a D.I.Y. dream. Out of raisins? No problem. Just swap in whatever dried fruit you have on hand. Have a random half-empty bag of shredded coconut left over from your holiday baking? Go on and toss it in the mix. Don't care for flax seed? Sprinkle in whatever seed or nut you prefer. What I'm trying to say here is, simply put, granola is one of those magical recipes that is pretty difficult to mess up. The recipe I've included below is perfect for a cozy winter morning, thanks to a splash of vanilla extract and a dusting of cinnamon. A generous scoop of raisins post-baking offers a healthy dose of sweetness. Here's to happy mornings!

Vanilla and Raisin Granola
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: about 50 minutes
Yield: about 4 cups

Ingredients:
- 1 large egg white
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon whole flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Combine egg white, oats, honey, olive oil, flaxseed, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Spread out on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
3. Bake granola, stirring every ten minutes, until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately mix in raisins. Allow to cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container.